"This Immortal Child..."
Ning Daoran smiled faintly. "Please convey a ssage for : I have a slightly damaged fourth-tier middle-grade puppet here. I rely wish to ask Fellow Daoist Qingxuzi for so help repairing it, which wouldn’t take much ti. If the repair succeeds, I am willing to give a third-tier top-grade ancient treasure as thanks."
"Alright, Senior, please wait here. I will inform my master right away."
"Thank you!"
The boy turned and left, returning shortly. Exiting the cave mansion, he said, "My master has said that he declines all visits during his closed-door cultivation. Senior Ning, please leave. The disturbances of the outside world are not sothing my master wishes to deal with."
"This..."
Ning Daoran furrowed his brows. By the sound of it, Qingxuzi was rather grandiose!
He felt a slight sense of resentnt—what’s so special about a fourth-tier middle-grade puppet master? He himself, an esteed fourth-tier middle-grade array master, had never been so aloof, always maintaining a deanor of approachability...
Just then, a streak of golden tunneling light swept across the sky above the bamboo forest, transforming into a beautiful figure that landed beside Ning Daoran. It was Ning Mingyu.
She frowned slightly. "I heard from the servants that you ca to the City Lord Mansion but didn’t look for or father. So I ca over upon hearing the news. What is this all about?"
"Ahem..."
Ning Daoran looked slightly embarrassed. "I’ve heard that Fellow Daoist Qingxuzi is a fourth-tier middle-grade puppet master, and I happen to possess a Nascent Soul mid-stage puppet obtained from a Secret Realm, which cannot be used due to slight damage. Hence, I intended to ask Fellow Daoist Qingxuzi to repair it. Unfortunately, I disturbed him during his cultivation retreat."
"Is that so?"
Ning Mingyu, unconvinced, strode to the front of the cave mansion, stood with her hands on her hips, and yelled, "Uncle Qingxuzi, it’s , Ning Mingyu!"
Monts later, the cave mansion opened, and an old man in a pale green robe stepped out. His face showed a hint of embarrassnt, and he gazed indulgently at Ning Mingyu with a doting expression. "Mingyu, what brings you here?"
"Hmph, you still have the nerve to ask."
Ning Mingyu puffed up angrily. "My brother sincerely ca to see you, yet you denied him entry. Is this proper etiquette? Besides, my brother is rely asking you to repair a puppet, not to craft an entirely new one—this small favor is surely no trouble for you, yet you refused to help?"
"Ah? This..."
Qingxuzi looked even more embarrassed, completely dropping his facade before Ning Mingyu. He cupped his fists towards Ning Daoran and smiled apologetically. "Fellow Daoist Ning, my earlier behavior was inexcusable. It’s just that I naturally have a reclusive nature and prefer not to interact with cultivators from the outside world. I declined all visits for this reason. Please don’t take it to heart."
Ning Daoran felt speechless. "I wonder if Fellow Daoist Qingxuzi might now be willing to spare a little ti to repair this puppet for ? Do rest assured; my earlier promise will definitely be honored without the slightest deceit."
"No need for such courtesy."
Qingxuzi smiled. "Since Fellow Daoist is Mingyu’s brother, then we are all family. Please co inside, and we shall discuss the matter of the puppet repair together."
"Alright, thank you so much!"
...
Inside the cave mansion.
Ning Daoran and Qingxuzi sat across from each other, while Ning Mingyu stayed by Ning Daoran’s side, showing imnse favoritism toward her adoptive elder brother.
Qingxuzi was a Guest Elder of the island and had watched Ning Mingyu grow up, feeling great affection for her, though his eyes carried a helpless look.
"Swish!"
Ning Daoran summoned a wisp of mana, retrieving the Fire Hou Puppet and placing it to the side. He said, "Fellow Daoist, please take a look. This is the item. Back then, in the Secret Realm, its control components were damaged. I’m unsure how to repair it and refine it to a state where other cultivators can use it."
"This..."
Qingxuzi’s gaze swept over the puppet and instantly recognized its extraordinary nature.
Having advanced to the rank of fourth-tier middle-grade puppet master for many years, he had only ever refined two puppets of the sa tier. However, neither of his creations could compare to the sheer potency of this puppet.
"This puppet... does not originate from the present day."
Qingxuzi’s eyes sharpened. "If I am not mistaken, this puppet most likely ca from an Ancient Secret Realm. Is this correct?"
"Fellow Daoist, your insight is truly keen."
Ning Daoran did not ntion the specific Secret Realm where he obtained it. After all, the na Taixu Immortal Realm carried imnse prestige as the greatest opportunity within the Endless Demon Sea. Revealing his access to its inner hall might invite unnecessary trouble.
As for the Purple Fla Demon Lord, any leaks of information would simply be unfortunate.
"Can Fellow Daoist Qingxuzi repair this puppet?"
"Allow to observe it further."
Qingxuzi scrutinized the Fire Hou Puppet carefully. "To be honest, Fellow Daoist Ning, the refinent techniques and internal spiritual patterns of this puppet are exceptionally intricate—even for a fourth-tier middle-grade puppet master, it would be imnsely challenging to replicate. Fortunately, the damage isn’t severe; it’s primarily limited to its control Elental Crystals. That part is straightforward—I can repair it."
He pondered for a mont. "The repair process will take so ti, approximately two months or so. Would Fellow Daoist be anable?"
His extended tiline had little to do with the difficulty of repairing the Elental Crystals; rather, he wished to use the extra ti to study the ancient Nascent Soul mid-stage puppet. Such opportunities were rare, and the completeness of this Fire Hou Puppet made it a treasure trove for a puppet master of his caliber.
"Alright."
Ning Daoran nodded and smiled. "I too have so interest in the Puppet Path. May I observe the repair process from the side?"
His intentions were simple—having crossed over from another world, Ning Daoran harbored lingering resentnt over the fraudulent practices of car dealerships in his previous life. His father’s Volkswagen CC had been prematurely retired due to critical component swaps during service. Even now, he couldn’t help but sigh at the mory.
"Alright, it’s a deal!"
Qingxuzi smiled and nodded.
Nearby, Ning Mingyu grinned brightly, utterly oblivious to the subtle maneuvers and intentions of the two "seasoned veterans."
...
Thus, Ning Daoran remained in Qingxuzi’s cave mansion for a full two and a half months.
"Roar~~~"
With a deafening roar, the Fire Hou Puppet stood proudly within the cave mansion, fully repaired.
The puppet’s control Elental Crystals had been restored, and the previous marks had been completely erased. Once Ning Daoran refined it, the puppet beca his.
Later, if he wished to gift the puppet to Chen Yuzhu, he could simply erase the marks and allow her to refine it anew.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Qingxuzi!"
Ning Daoran expressed his heartfelt gratitude, retrieving an ancient treasure from his storage bag—a horsetail whisk.
Although he had cultivated for many years, Daoist artifacts were never his preference. He said, "This whisk was obtained from a Secret Realm and is now yours. I hope you don’t mind its humble origins and accept it with a smile."
"This..."
Qingxuzi’s expression stiffened. "Repairing the puppet in two months was rely a trivial task. This ancient treasure is priceless..."
"Fellow Daoist, there’s no need to be so polite. You deserve this."
Ning Daoran said, "Besides, I did promise an ancient treasure as a reward. Would Fellow Daoist have break my word?"
"In that case, thank you, Fellow Daoist Ning!"
Qingxuzi accepted the whisk, clearly delighted, casually hooking it over his arm. "It seems the outside world has greatly misjudged Fellow Daoist Ning. You are nothing like the rumors suggest."
"Oh?"
Ning Daoran chuckled. "And how does the outside world portray ?"
"As Jianjia Old Demon—cruel and savage, a bloodthirsty villain who robs and murders, betrays masters, and leaves rivers of blood in his wake."
Qingxuzi chuckled. "But these are rely slanders from the Cultivation World in Sangyu Country. I now understand the truth."
Ning Daoran left with Ning Mingyu in tow, looking slightly annoyed.
Among the bamboo forest, the two walked side by side for a stretch.
"Mingyu..."
Ning Daoran turned to her with a glance. "I must say, for soone at the late Golden Core stage, diving headfirst into every bit of excitent isn’t a good habit. Your father has high hopes for you. My visit to Fellow Daoist Qingxuzi for puppet repairs was a matter of mutual need. You, on the other hand, wasted two months watching the fun—do you think that’s right?"
"Brother, I was wrong."
Ning Mingyu lowered her head and quietly admitted.
"If you’re wrong, then shouldn’t you return to your closed-door cultivation?"
Ning Daoran said, "The next ti I see you, I hope you’ll be a Nascent Soul cultivator. anwhile, I’ll also retreat to master the two Array Dao inheritances I’ve just acquired."
"Got it!"
Ning Mingyu vowed. "Just wait—I swear to you, the next ti we et, I’ll be Nascent Soul!"
At twilight.
Ning Daoran returned to his cave mansion, greeted Jade Marrow Immortal, and began his extended closed-door cultivation.
This recluse had three objectives: First, to nurture his newly acquired treasures. Second, to refine the White Dragon Sea Splitting Formation and Void Returning Array. Third, to continue studying the mutation research on Immortal Vine.
...
Thus, outside the cave mansion, spring turned to winter, leaves greened and yellowed, sumr brought breezes, winter brought snow—the verdant bamboo forest whitened ti and ti again. In a flash, five years passed.
This year, Ning Daoran turned 440 years old.
Inside the cave mansion.
"Release!"
Sitting cross-legged, Ning Daoran uttered softly. Instantly, a Nascent Soul child appeared above his head—a Chaos Nascent Soul, surrounded by fiery red and golden lights.
One was the Fire God Sword; the other, the Earth Gold Cauldron.
Five years of nurturing had transford these two treasures into life-bound items, significantly amplifying their prowess.
Additionally, the White Dragon Sea Splitting Formation had been fully mastered. He even had three sets of pre-refined arrays in his storage bag. As for the Void Returning Array, although the Array Dao inheritance was thoroughly absorbed, he still lacked sufficient confidence for an initial refinent.
The Void Returning Array also required nurous Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Most had already been collected, but a few components still needed sourcing—a task that would require ti.
Furthermore, over the course of these five years, there was another significant breakthrough.
The fusion between the Eternal Immortal Vine and the Water Moon Divine Art had finally succeeded, granting Ning Daoran the legendary Water Vine!
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